1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an item of footwear, i.e., a shoe or boot, that opens at the front and has a tongue for protecting the top of the foot. More particularly, the present invention relates to a comfort tongue adapted to come into contact directly with the top of the foot and to a system for attaching the tongue to the item of footwear.
2. Description of Background and Relevant Information
The known footwear of the type mentioned above generally relate to all flexible shoes adapted to walking and running, and to the so-called "rigid shell" boots, such as ski boots, ice skate and roller skate boots, hiking boots, etc., which have a comfort liner housed within their shell.
In these footwear, the known tongue fixing means determine a longitudinal fixed mounting position, or procure a plurality of possibilities of adjustment between two longitudinal extreme positions, either continuously or adjustably, especially by means of woven strips that attach to one another by contact.
The patents EP 0 317 798, FR 2 682 858, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,321 can be cited, which describe such footwear, as well as the "RACE, CARVE, FREE" ski boot models sold under the mark ROSSIGNOL in 1999.
More specifically, the patent EP 0 317 798 discloses a liner having a tongue sliding between two longitudinal extreme positions determined by means of an assembly axle that is Sly mounted through an oblong slot. Thus mounted, the tongue is supposed to displace itself automatically against the front portion of the user's leg when the boot shell is closed on the liner. However, due to the fact that its longitudinal displacement essentially occurs beneath the lateral walls of the liner, and that it results from the constraint ex d by the elements for closing the shell on the liner, substantial frictions are generated between it and these contiguous portions of the liner and of the shell which hinder its sliding. In fact, it is the user of the boot who, almost generally, must manually ensure the adjustment of the tongue against the front portion of the leg.
Another disadvantage relates to tie necessity of attaching a relatively rigid reinforcement element on the front of the liner to obtain a sliding and solid linkage with the tongue. This arrangement complicates the construction of the liner and prevents the adjustment thereof on the user's foot, in the area of the reinforcement element. Moreover, because the linkage occurs between the oblong slot, which is obtained in this reinforcement element, and the assembly shaft, the removability of the tongue in view of its replacement is impossible without destroying one of the constituent elements of this linkage.
In the case of the liner described in the patent FR 2 682 858, the aforementioned disadvantages resulting from the frictions that are generated between the tongue and he contiguous portions of the liner and of the shell are avoided. Indeed, in this example, the tongue is simply retained on the liner in a position predetermined by means of removable latching means. Conversely, there are no longer any possibilities of adjustment in he longitudinal position to adjust it on the front portion of the user's leg and foot. Moreover, a liner of tis type requires a certain free space to be provided between the shell and the front of the liner where the means for latching the tongue are located. Indeed, because the latter are relatively projecting and extend over a reduced surface, they are susceptible of causing painful pressure spots on the user's foot, since the boot shell is adjusted in their area. This type of problem, already mentioned in reference to the liner described in the patent EP 0 317 798, is avoided in the constructions where the front opening footwear has a tongue for protecting the top of the foot, which is attached at its front end by means of an adjustable fixing system constituted of woven strips that grip by contact, one of the strips constituting an extension of the front end of the tongue. Indeed, as taught by the patent U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,321 and by the liners with which the "RACE, CARVE, FREE" boot models of the mark ROSSIGNOL are equipped, the strips are easily incorporated into the general stricture of the boot due to their thinness and flexibility, as well as their contact surface. Since they do not have any locally projecting portions or any reinforcement element, the tongue linkage strips therefore make it possible to adjust the fitting volume to the user's foot without causing any problems capable of hindering comfort. Furthermore, due to the fact that the fixing of the tongue merely results from the woven fibers of the strips overlapping one another, there is a multitude of possibilities of adjustment of the longitudinal position of the tongue. Of course, the larger the contact surface of the woven strips, the higher the number of adjustment possibilities.
This fixing method is generally satisfactory for the aforementioned reasons, but has the disadvantage of not being solid, in particular of not being resistant to the stresses which the tongue imposes thereon tranlationally in the longitudinal axis of the boot, because one of the woven strips is directly fixed on the tongue. Thus, these stresses resulting from the least flexional movements of the shell and/or upper of the boot cause, by constant repetitions, folds at the front end of the tongue and the progressive detachment of the woven strips until completely releasing the tongue. This is what almost generally occurs when the tongue is pre-adjusted in a position in which the woven strips are not in mesh over their entire gripping surface. Similarly, when the user exerts a traction on the tongue in view of flattening it against his lower leg and/or on the top of the foot, when putting on the boot, the tongue often disengages.